any of various colors resembling the color of blood; the primary color at one extreme end of the visible spectrum, an effect of light with a wavelength between 610 and 780 nanometers.
something red.
(often initial capital letter)Older Slang: Usually Disparaging. a radical leftist in politics, especially a Communist.
Informal. red light (def. 1).
Informal. red wine: a glass of red.
Also called red bird,red devil, red doll .Slang. a capsule of the drug secobarbital, usually red in color: He was caught with a half dozen reds in the bottom of his pack of cigarettes.
adjective,red·der,red·dest.
of the color red.
having distinctive areas or markings of red: a red robin.
of or indicating a state of financial loss or indebtedness: the red column in the ledger.
Older Slang: Usually Disparaging.
radically left politically.
(often initial capital letter)communist: Red China.
Older Use: Disparaging and Offensive. relating to, noting, or characteristic of North American Indian peoples.
Idioms for red
in the red, operating at a loss or being in debt (opposed to in the black): The newspaper strike put many businesses in the red.
paint the town red. paint (def. 16).
see red, Informal. to become very angry; become enraged: Snobs make her see red.
Origin of red
1
First recorded before 900; Middle English red, Old English rēad; cognate with German rot, Dutch rood, Old Norse raudhr, Latin rūfus, ruber, Greek erythrós; see rubella, rufescent, erythro-
OTHER WORDS FROM red
red·ly,adverb
Definition for red (2 of 5)
red2
[ red ]
/ rɛd /
verb (used with object),red,red·ding.
redd1.
Definition for red (3 of 5)
Red
[ red ]
/ rɛd /
noun
a male or female given name.
a nickname typically given to someone with red hair.
Definition for red (4 of 5)
red-
variant of re- before a vowel or h in some words: redintegrate.
Definition for red (5 of 5)
-red
a native English suffix, denoting condition, formerly used in the formation of nouns: hatred; kindred.
any of a group of colours, such as that of a ripe tomato or fresh blood, that lie at one end of the visible spectrum, next to orange, and are perceived by the eye when light in the approximate wavelength range 740–620 nanometres falls on the retina. Red is the complementary colour of cyan and forms a set of primary colours with blue and greenRelated adjectives: rubicund, ruddy
a pigment or dye of or producing these colours
red cloth or clothingdressed in red
a red ball in snooker, billiards, etc
(in roulette and other gambling games) one of two colours on which players may place even bets, the other being black
Also called: innerarcherya red ring on a target, between the blue and the gold, scoring seven points
in the redinformalin debit; owing money
see redinformalto become very angry
adjectiveredderorreddest
of the colour red
reddish in colour or having parts or marks that are reddishred hair; red deer
having the face temporarily suffused with blood, being a sign of anger, shame, etc
(of the complexion) rosy; florid
(of the eyes) bloodshot
(of the hands) stained with blood, as after committing murder
bloody or violentred revolution
(of wine) made from black grapes and coloured by their skins
denoting the highest degree of urgency in an emergency; used by the police and the army and informally (esp in the phrase red alert)
USrelating to, supporting, or representing the Republican PartyCompare blue (def. 24)
verbreds, reddingorredded
another word for redden
Derived forms of red
redly, adverbredness, noun
Word Origin for red
Old English rēad; compare Old High German rōt, Gothic rauths, Latin ruber, Greek eruthros, Sanskrit rohita
British Dictionary definitions for red (2 of 3)
red2
/ (rɛd) /
verbreds, redding, redorredded
(tr) a variant spelling of redd 1
British Dictionary definitions for red (3 of 3)
Red
/ (rɛd) informal /
adjective
Communist, Socialist, or Soviet
radical, leftist, or revolutionary
noun
a member or supporter of a Communist or Socialist Party or a national of a state having such a government, esp the former Soviet Union
a radical, leftist, or revolutionary
Word Origin for Red
C19: from the colour chosen to symbolize revolutionary socialism